Doctors Without Borders, known by its French initials MSF, has said it will not provide Israeli authorities with the personal details of its staff working in Gaza and across the occupied Palestinian territory, citing concerns for staff safety and a lack of assurances over how the information would be used.
The decision on Friday follows criticism of MSF’s statement last week that it was prepared to share the names of its staff under strict conditions – a position that sparked concern among aid workers and rights advocates.
In March, April 2025, the Israeli occupation authorities announced a decision obligating organizations seeking registration to submit personal information about their employees.
From the outset, MSF expressed deep concern regarding this measure, especially in light of the intimidation, arbitrary arrests, and attacks faced by workers in the medical and humanitarian sectors.
Since October 2023, 1,700 workers in the health field have been killed, in addition to 15 MSF staff members, as a result of Israeli targeting.
On 30 December, 2025, the Israeli authorities announced the expiration of the previous registration of MSF, which requires the organization to cease its work within 60 days.
The organization mentioned that it informed the Israeli authorities on 23 January of its readiness to share a limited list of the names of Palestinian and international employees as an exceptional measure and according to clear criteria, while giving the highest priority to the safety of its staff.
It said that this position came after “consultations with our Palestinian colleagues, with a firm emphasis on not sharing any information about employees without obtaining explicit consent from the individuals concerned.”
However, the organization said that it became clear in recent days that it was not possible to reach an understanding with the Israeli authorities regarding tangible guarantees.
It confirmed that as a result, and in the absence of these clear guarantees, it decided not to proceed with sharing any information related to employees under the current circumstances.
